Hanyu wins third GP Final gold

Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu claimed an unprecedented third straight men's title in record style, as 16-year-old Evgenia Medvedeva gave Russia a second gold on the final day of the ISU Grand Prix Final in Barcelona.

Olympic champion Hanyu was in a class of his own, following his world record 110.95 mark in the men's short programme Thursday by obliterating his own world marks in both the free skate 219.48 and overall total 330.43.

"I had an almost perfect performance today," admitted the 21-year-old after winning by a massive 37.48-point margin on world champion Javier Fernandez of Spain, who had to settle for silver like last year.

Japanese teenager Shomo Uno took bronze in the elite six-skater final.

Hanyu had become the first skater to break the 200-point mark in the free skate and the mythical 300-point overall just over two weeks ago in the NHK Trophy.

Taking to the ice last he produced a spell-binding performance to the Japanese movie soundtrack 'Seimei' by Shigeru Umebayashi, nailing three quadruple jumps, including one in combination, and also six clean triples -- two of them Axels.
"I got a world record, but I can't even think about it now I'm so exhausted," said the skater from Sendai after being reduced to tears as his scores appeared.

"I felt very nervous before. I heard the audience's reaction to Javier's performance.

"I started to feel pressure, but I was able to draw on the crowd's energy."

Three-time European champion Fernandez, could not match Hanyu's performance, despite an equally challenging programme which mirrored that of his Japanese training partner.

The man from Madrid nevertheless became just the second skater after Hanyu to break 200 points for the free skate with 201.43 for his skate to Frank Sinatra's 'Guys and Dolls' for a personal best 292.95 overall.

"After the short programme Yuzuru was already very far ahead," said Fernandez, the first skater from Spain to medal at an international event.

"I'm glad I pulled out this free skate in this competition to show people that I can skate really well and clean."

Uno, 17, scored 263.45 overall, to move up to third with former three-time world champion Patrick Chan of Canada and China's Jin Boyang both achieving 263.45, and Japan's Daisuke Murakami (235.49) finishing sixth.

-- Second gold for Russia --
Earlier, Medvedeva took her first major title ahead of Japan's Satoko Miyahara with fellow Russian Elena Radionova taking bronze, as Japanese star Mao Asada slumped to last.

It was Russia's second gold in Barcelona after Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov won the pair's title, with Canada's Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje successfully defending their ice dancing crown.

Medvedeva scored a personal best 147.96 points for her free skate to the music "Allegro" by Rene Aubry and "Charms" by Abel Korzeniowski which incorporated seven triples including an opening triple flip-triple toeloop combination.

She achieved 222.54 points overall, nearly 16 points better than her previous best.

"I'm very pleased. This is my first senior season and to get to the Grand Prix final and then win is very unexpected and nice," said Medvedeva, who won the junior title in Barcelona last year.
Miyahara, the world silver medallist, also scored personal bests with 140.09 for the free skate for 208.85 overall to move up from fourth after the short programme.

"I didn't think it was possible for me to get such high points," said the 17-year-old Japanese national champion.

Radionova, also 16, dropped from second to third after achieving just the fourth best score in the free skate, 131.70, scoring 201.13 overall.

Asada, 25, had been third after the short programme but finished last in the six-skater field after an error-strewn free skate.

"I'm very disappointed I couldn't perform the way I wanted to," said Asada, the 2010 Olympic silver medallist, had been bidding for a record fifth women's crown.

Americans Ashley Wagner and Gracie Gold finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Source :AFP